Hair dryer with removable lay-on resilient cushion

ABSTRACT

A hair dryer including a removable cushion having wafflelike projections thereon. Facing sides of adjacent projections are inclined and are adapted to contact rollers on a person&#39;&#39;s head resting on the cushion during hair drying. Heated air flows through apertures formed in the cushion and then onto the person&#39;&#39;s hair. A molded hollow hood surrounds the person&#39;&#39;s head and contains heated air which serves to accelerate drying.

I United States Patent [151 3,641,682

Glintz Feb. 15, 1972 [54] HAIR DRYER WITH REMOVABLE LAY- 2,244,953 6/l94l Klingensmith ..34/l00 ON RESILIENT CUSHION 3,l82,808 5/1965 Benoit et a] ..l98/198 3,237,757 3 1966 Perkins ..l98/198 [72] lnventor: Georgia E. Glintz, 2909 University Ave.,

Des Momes Iowa 5031 l Primary ExaminerFrederick L. Matteson [22] Filed; Ma 11, 1970 Assistant Examiner-Harry B. Ramey 1 A l N 18 558 AttarneyClarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT U-S- A hair drye including a removable cushion havi g 2; 96401 projections thereon. Facing sides of adjacent projections are I 1 0 32/38 347 inclined and are adapted to contact rollers on a person's head resting on the cushion during hair drying. Heated air flows through apertures formed in the cushion and then onto the [50] References cued persons hair. A molded hollow hood surrounds the persons UNITED STATES PATENTS head and contains heated air which serves to accelerate dryln 3,358,382 12/1967 Glintz ..34/99 g 3,319,272 5/1967 Eller ..5/338 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures HAIR DRYER WITH REMOVABLE LAY-ON RESILIENT CUSHION This invention relates to hair dryers and more particularly to hair dryers having apertured resting pads against which a person's head lies. Heated air flowing through the aperture dries the hair.

The present invention is an improvement on (1.8. Pat. No. 3,358,382, dated Dec. 19, I967. This patent was in the form of a hair dryer having a cushion on which a person having her hair dried may place her head. The cushion includes a plurality of apertures therein communicating with the hollow interior of the cushion which in turn is communicated with a heated air source so that air will pass upwardly through the apertures, through and around the hair of the persons head resting on the cushion. A hood encloses the cushion and extends above the cushion. The hood includes an open end area for receiving the head of the person whose hair is being dried. The cushion includes a slotlike opening with a depending diverter structure associated therewith for diverting a portion of the air upwardly through the interior of the cushion for drying the hair. The hood is also provided with a plurality of exhaust openings therein for enabling air circulation.

Although this previously patented device operates satisfactorily, it is desirous to have a hair dryer of the patented type with a removable cushion against which a person rests her head. This removable cushion maximizes sanitary operation. In addition, with the patented device, it has been found that certain individuals are annoyed by the pressure exerted by rollers, pins and the like against a flat cushion.

The present invention includes a removable pad having pro jections thereon which are spaced from each other thereby forming recesses for receiving rollers, pins and the like so that undue pressure is not brought to bear against the head. In addition, a generally spherical molded hood is provided to more evenly distribute a portion of the delivered heated air.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the present invention in use.

FIG. 2 is a cutaway top plan view of the hair dryer.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view illustrating the shape of projections on the removable resilient cushion used in the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along a plane passing through section line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an alternate position of the hair dryer.

Referring to FIG. 1, the present hair dryer is generally indicated by reference numeral and is seen to include a molded generally spherical transparent hood l2 typically fabricated from plastic and attached in overlying relation to a hollow base 14. A conventional hot air blower l6 communicates with the interior of the hollow base 14 by means of a flexible conduit 18.

Considering FIGS. 4 and 5, the base is seen to include a bottom wall 20, a front wall 22, a rear wall 24 and lateral walls 26 and 28. A foraminous top wall 30 encloses the hollow base, the top wall 30 being characterized by openings or apertures 32. A tubular fitting 34 extends outwardly from the rear end wall 24 and provides means for mounting the outlet end of conduit 18. Heated air is delivered through the fitting 34 into the base 14. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, oppositely directed and generally parallel disposed J-shaped air guides 36 and 38 distribute the flow of delivered hot air around the interior of the base. A portion of the heated air delivered through fitting 34 is deflected upwardly into the interior of hood 12 which more particularly includes an outer shell 40 and an inner shell 44 thereby constituting a double spaced wall construction. The upper portion of the hood is spherical and continues downwardly to a rectangular bottom edge coextensive with the upper edge of the base 14. As will be noted in FIG. 4, the rearward bottom portion of the inner hood wall 44 is arcuate and diverges away from an adjacent portion of outer wall 40 so that an elongated passageway 42 is defined between the base 14 and the hood. This passageway allows entry of a diverted portion of the delivered heated air from fitting 34. The lower end of inner hood wall 44 includes a flat elongated flange 46 extending between lateral sidewalls 26 and 28. A semicylindrical member 48 is positioned against the flange 46 and presents a convex surface against which impinging air is directed from the fitting 34. It is this semicylindrical member 48 that causes the diversion of heated air into the interior of base 14 and the space between the double wall construction of hood l2.

Apertures 50 are formed at spaced points along the interior wall 44 and provide means for heated air to flow from the double wall space into the general interior of hood 12. This flow affects drying of a person's hair disposed in the hood as seen in FIG. 1. The front edges of walls 40 and 44 are smoothly joined along a rearwardly inclined edge 52 that defines the hood entrance.

Referring to FIG. 1, the sidewalls 26 and 28 will be seen to be raised relative to front wall 22 thereby defining a traylike receptacle for a removable resilient pad or cushion 54. The pad includes a base member 56 and a plurality of parallelspaced waffle shaped projections 58. As will be noted, openings 60 are formed in the pad and between adjacent projections so that each opening in the pad is in alignment with an aperture 32 in the top wall 30 of the hollow base 14. By virtue ofthe aligned openings, heated air circulating through the hollow base is free to move upwardly through the aligned apertures and contact the persons hair as shown in FIG. 3.

Considering FIG. 3 in detail, the particular shape ofthe projections is shown to include a vertical cylindrical portion 62 having a square cross section. This cylindrical portion extends upwardly to an upper portion having upwardly converging lateral sides truncated at the top. This particular shape is of special advantage because facing inclined sides 64 of adjacent projections form supporting surfaces for a roller 68 or the like. Due to the resilient characteristics of the projections, the projections yield to receive rollers, pins, and the like therebetween so that the persons head rests against the truncated tops 66 of the projections. As a result, annoying pressure on the head, usually exerted by the rollers, is obviated.

Although the dryer 10 can be placed on a horizontal surface as shown in FIG. 1, means are provided for mounting the dryer on the vertical back ofa seat as seen in FIG. 5. More particularly, the sidewalls 26 and 28 include recesses therein. Bar members 70 are enclosed within the recesses and allow the attachment of straps 74 thereto which clamp the base of the dryer against the back ofa chair as seen in FIG. 5. A U-shaped member 72 is suitably attached to the rear wall 24 of the base and provides sufficient mounting means for an additional strap 76 interconnected with the strap 74 to secure the dryer to the seat back. Therefore, the present hair dryer construction offers the flexibility of being usable in the vertical or horizontal positions.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A hair dryer comprising a hollow base, a cushion positioned on the base, the cushion having spaced upwardly extending projections between whose upper ends a persons hair rollers and pins may be cradled when the persons head rests upon the cushion, aligned air passages formed in the base and in the cushion between the projections, and means communicating the hollow base with a heated air supply whereby heated air passes upwardly through the passage to effect hair drying, the upper ends of said projections including upwardly and inwardly beveled surfaces, the opposing beveled surfaces of adjacent projections being adapted to cradle opposite underside surface portions of hair rollers therebetween, the spacing between adjacent portions of adjacent projections below said beveled surfaces being less than the diameter of a medium-size hair roller.

2. The structure of claim 1 together with a hood extending over the cushion and overlying the persons head, the base having an opening for communicating the hollow base with the hood, and air-diverting means for diverting a portion of heated air coming into the hollow base into the hood while the remainder of the air passes through the aligned air passages for more efficient hair drying.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2 wherein the hood has a spaced double wall which receives the diverted portion of heated air, the inward wall including apertures therein through which heated air flows directly onto the person's hair,

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein the hood includes a rearwardly inclined inverted U-shaped opening therein for facilitating insertion and removal of the person's head and further providing vent means for the heated airflow.

5. The structure of claim 3 wherein the cushion is removable thereby enabling use of the dryer with separate cushions resulting in sanitary operation.

6. The structure of claim 1 wherein said cushion is constructed of form-retaining, but deformable and resilient material. 

1. A hair dryer comprising a hollow base, a cushion positioned on the base, the cushion having spaced upwardly extending projections between whose upper ends a person''s hair rollers and pins may be cradled when the person''s head rests upon the cushion, aligned air passages formed in the base and in the cushion between the projections, and means communicating the hollow base with a heated air supply whereby heated air passes upwardly through the passage to effect hair drying, the upper ends of said projections including upwardly and inwardly beveled surfaces, the opposing beveled surfaces of adjacent projections being adapted to cradle opposite underside surface portions of hair rollers therebetween, the spacing between adjacent portions of adjacent projections below said beveled surfaces being less than the diameter of a medium-size hair roller.
 2. The structure of claim 1 together with a hood extending over the cushion and overlying the person''s head, the base having an opening for communicating the hollow base with the hood, and air-diverting means for diverting a portion of heated air coming into the hollow base into the hood while the remainder of the air passes through the aligned air passages for more efficient hair drying.
 3. The structure set forth in claim 2 wherein the hood has a spaced double wall which receives the diverted portion of heated air, the inward wall including apertures therein through which heated air flows directly onto the person''s hair.
 4. The structure of claim 3 wherein the hood includes a rearwardly inclined inverted U-shaped opening therein for facilitating insertion and removal of the person''s head and further providing vent means for the heated airflow.
 5. The structure of claim 3 wherein the cushion is removable thereby enabling use of the dryer with separate cushions resulting in sanitary operation.
 6. The structure of claim 1 wherein said cushion is constructed of form-retaining, but deformable and resilient material. 